Soooooo where do I begin?

I let out a sigh as I glance at the adventurers around me. Some were from my world, some were from this world. We were going to go into one of the biggest dungeons in this fantasy world.

The Pitt.

Sitting on the wooden bench, I contemplate my life choices.

Did I want to do this?

Nope. Did I have a choice? Yes, but there were a few things I can do. Actually, I had two choices.

There's Earth and then there's Vivis.

I can stay on Earth and work on my homeworld. Or I can go to Vivis, where I can gamble on my life and get the wealth I need to help my family.

Vivis... is a fantasy world. It's a different world from Earth, having its own universe as well. In terms of what exactly happened, I do not know. It seems like there's a lot of mystery around how and when this happened. I got a feeling it was way before the twentieth century. Earth has a bunch of technology that can counter most species from Vivis. Regardless of the mysterious connection, Earth and Vivis have established a permanent connection between our worlds.

A popular question a lot of people like to ask is WHY. Why is there a connection? Why are we helping Vivis, why is Vivis helping us?

Too many questions, too many answers. Several people can say that Vivis could have just... teleported people from our world to theirs without our knowing. Another point would be how Earth lacked the magical essence that Vivis have.

True, an envoy of Vivis said they could teleport individuals to their world. However, they needed a lot of people. A lot of them because of the constant wars on the different continents and realms within their world. Vivis is quite large.

Meanwhile, the point about Earth not having a strong magical presence is true, yet the inhabitants from Vivis want the technological, medical, and scientific advances we have.

Now, with this being said, it leads up to why I am here.

Because of the high demand for people from Earth, there are a lot of opportunities on Vivis. Many, many opportunities. These opportunities can vary. It can be the smallest opportunity of owning a small farm in Vivis to obtaining immortality. Yes, immortality. And these effects can be carried to Earth. I cannot stress how stupid the benefits are if you are successful in Vivis. Those who wish to leave Vivis for a... somewhat peaceful place can come to Earth. Those who wish to expand their knowledge and dabble with scientific or technological pursuits come to Earth.

The two planets have been reaping benefits off of each other.

The strongest leaders and militaries on Earth are strong or are receiving benefits with certain Vivis factions. With this relationship, Earth aids Vivis. There are so many threats on Vivis, it's a wonder why the planet had not faced total annihilation yet.

Most of Earth's leaders are immortals, granted that they could be killed by someone that is stronger than them. This in itself can be good or bad. Certain countries have benevolent leaders whereas some countries had tyrants and dictators.

With such power, one might wonder why the Earth is not in disarray yet.

Certain individuals from Vivis are making sure the world does not go to shit. They do not want Earth to be like Vivis. These protectors are divine entities. Gods and Goddesses.

I stop myself from thinking a bit too much on these matters. The dangerous threats on Vivis, the immortals, certain individuals, deities...

Let's focus on the present.

I'm here because of these opportunities. Specifically, I want to provide for my family. I could work on Earth and avoid the dangers, but... it will take too long for me to secure any income or wealth.

Once again, the connection between Vivs and Earth creates several benefits. On the downside, demand will be high on both sides. Things will change. Sure, there will be some jobs I can do, but... it's not enough. The money is not enough for my little sister and my mom.

They are both hospitalized right now.

I can remember the tragic incident seven years ago when I was fifteen.

My mom, my sister, and I were going back home from our grocery shopping. Everything was fine until a meteor slammed into the shop. My mom quickly shielded us from the impact.

A dark metallic figure steps out of the meteor. It was a humanoid, standing there with familiar features. Its hands flexed in and out of a fist. It has legs and feet. The being resembled a knight, yet it has an alien appearance. The figure was quite thin. Its limbs looked like lamp posts pole- its helmet seemed like the lamp. The head was the part that had the most width to its entire frame. The armor moved. Parts of the armor shift about, relocating themselves wherever they want. It went at a slow pace, manipulating the shape or the density of the being at its own accord. The design of the armor was too bizarre. Bystanders stood by, looking at the armored knight. My mom, on the other hand, ordered us to run.

"Go... Don't look back and run. Run!" We obeyed, running with all of our might. I did not look back, afraid of what was to come. I heard a sudden hiss in the air. Then, a roar filled the air. I was running with all my might, ignoring the aching pain in my legs. What stopped me was my little sister.

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"Sis!" She cried to me. I turned, watching a deadly purple gas approach her. The gas looked like some tidal wave, wanting to consume anyone and everything. I was going to abandon my safety for my sister.

A person stopped me.

I was yanked back, seeing a massive shield cover the vicinity. It trapped the deadly fumes within the barrier. I watched my sister get swallowed up by the gas. The barrier trapped my sister in, making sure the gas would not escape. I heard footsteps around and behind me. Soldiers appeared out of thin air. The mages conjured spell circles in front of them, preparing to neutralize the deadly gas. I immediately charged at the barrier, crying out in despair.

"My sister is in there!"

"Get her away from the barrier." Someone ordered. A soldier picked me up. I could not struggle against them. They dragged me away. I screamed at them. I tried to get them off of me, kicking and punching. The soldier held fast, making sure I was locked in their grip. A few minutes later, the gas disappeared. The barrier was taken down. I immediately spot my sister.

My mom... she had protected her, using her body as a shield. They were fine! I was relieved, but the soldier did not loosen his grip.

"Let me go!" I yelled.

"...this is not good." The leader spoke, "Make sure no one approaches them. They're...Null."

Null.

The Null is a result of someone being exposed to a dangerous status ailment. The ailment on my mom and sister makes them enter a vegetation state. They're alive, but they have to be monitored and quarantined. I am a bit glad that the damn monster spared them, yet I still damn it for its actions. I wonder why the damn creature decide to do it? Why was the damn thing using gas? What was it trying to do exactly and why was it there in the first place?

I... wish that damn thing never showed up though. It was... a cruel incident. That particular event just ruined my innocence, I guess. I feel like it also got me into this sticky issue of mine.

Skills, they're everything now. Jobs, companies, guilds, teams, kingdoms, Vivis, and on Earth, everyone wanted someone with some skills. Even if it was one lame skill. Going to Vivis, you have to be eighteen unless you have a parent or guardian above that age. If it is your first time, you will get a free evaluation. From there, they will create a profile from your evaluation.

For some reason, I have no skills.

None.

Some unlucky individuals do not have any skills. I just happened to be in that boat. Some individuals get a skill from their vast knowledge and hard work. Going to a college or university will create such an effect. Some will get a skill eventually. I would have liked to go to a college or a university if I had any money.

Due to the incident, the government did pay for three years worth for my family and wellbeing. When I hit eighteen, I was on my own. Why three years? Why not the rest of their stay?

Simple.

My family is not the only family who suffered from these random incidents. There have been times where a random creature, monster, or incident will happen on Earth. There will be some issue or casualty. The government will try to help out as much as it can. In the end, the government cannot do it for all eternity. There are exceptions if you have the connections. Sadly, my family has no strong connections. I received some aid from relatives or friends, but it is not enough to sustain the hospital bill. My family has health insurance, yet it does not cover everything. Especially when it comes to the Null.

Either way, the government has other issues to attend to.

Within those years, I prepared myself to head to Vivis. I heard about all the opportunities, hoping I had a shot at something. If I could work as a soldier, fine, I will do it. If I can get into an office job, fine, I will do it. I was mentally and physically prepared...

Yet it meant jackshit when the world revolves around its rules and strictly enforces something that was out of my power or control.

You must have one skill to get into something worthwhile. Without it, you're trash.

Sure, I can do office work without the skills. I can learn, I can get the hang of it. Yet why would you hire someone without the right skills? If I hire someone with the right skills, they can do two times, three times the work of a skilless person.

Do you want to join the military? If you don't have the skills, you might just die at the very start of a battle. It would have been a waste if you had no skills to give you some protection.

Sure, not every job out there requires someone with a skill. If I had the time to find a company, group, something that would take me in without any skills, that'll be great.

But time is not on my side. I have to pay for myself and the bills. And I got a feeling these jobs will not have a high enough salary to help my mom and my sister.

And this is why I am here. In Vivis, doing a dangerous job.

Dungeon diving.

There are no requirements for it. You do not need to have a skill, but you do need actual skill to do well. You can be a guide. You can be a miner. You can be a porter. You can be a mercenary- you can do a lot of things, yet the risk is high. These dungeons are a lot of things. They can be your saving grace or you death.

Ignoring all the other issues in Vivis, the Pitt is an infamous dungeon for its many floors, numerous rewards, and its dangers. I have been risking my life for four years in this damn place. I wish I could explore the rest of the world, learn about its inhabitants and wonders.

Nope.

This goddamn dungeon has been my lifeline. I am forever stuck on this damn continent and this damn dungeon. Almost most of my time is helping out other adventurers go into the Pitt. I carry stuff, provide some insight on the place, and provide information on some monsters. I can fight... if needed. The pay is all over the place, but it is enough for me to pay the medical bills. If I am lucky, some teams will tip me or give me something from the dungeon. I use most of the remaining money on my equipment.

Now, one might wonder, why are there people willing to hire me if I have no skills?

I am not scared. I have been in this dungeon for four years. I have dealt with so much crap it... turned me to... some expert? A survivor? I can barely explain it myself.

Was it easy to become an expert of the Pitt?

Hell no. I still remembered the times where I almost died or... Let's not bring up the other traumatic thing.

Now, am I disposable? Somewhat... if you do not secure your own ass and ensure some insurance, you can be. My old mentor told me about it. Once I had the money, I made sure to sign up for dungeon insurance. If I were to die in this dungeon, most of my savings and belonging goes to my family. If there was foul play by hiring me and getting me killed on purpose, I will be compensated. Or if I died from some betrayal, the offending party will have to compensate my family. This alone gives me some protection against... certain parties. Not everyone going into the Pitt are... nice.

Is this insurance foolproof? No. I can still die from a party backstabbing me. Even if I have insurance, it does not give me invincibility from those who want to kill me. Nope.

I had a few teams who tried to kill me. Despite my lack of 'game skill', I can still defend myself. I did not spend the rest of my money on luxuries. I spent it on armor, weapons, scrolls, tools, anything that will help me against any being or this damn dungeon. Or try to.

If someone tried to accuse me... well, I had grown a reputation in this place. Most will not win against me due to my consistent good behavior.

I got up from my seat to look out of the glass windows.

The Pitt is a massive hole that goes deep into the ground. It covers my view as I look out the window. Staring at it... gives me the creeps. I got used to its depth, but I cannot stare too long into the gaping hole. It feels me with dread the longer I look at it.

How deep is it? I have no clue.

There are so many things around this damn place, but the place still has a bunch of mysteries around it. For example, no one knows how many floors there are and how deep it is. At the moment, there are one hundred forty-six floors that have been discovered. People are trying to slowly uncover the truths, but even then, there are a lot of mysteries around the Pitt. The floors will vary, having a familiar theme like other dungeons to bizarre ones where it teleported them to... eerie environments. One adventurer team had stumbled upon some powerful castle with a strong lich and an undead army. Another talked about a benevolent alraune in her majestic garden. She graced them with buffs and let them go.

In my four years, I have not stumbled into these... weird floors. Do I want to see them?

Nope. Most are unpredictable and I do not want to deal with the unknown.

"You alright?" The leader of the raid group has donned full plated steel armor. His dome helmet covers his head. I cannot see past his visor, but I gave him my usual response.

"Yep. The faster we do this, the better." We had discussed the plan already. They would go in, try to find a couple of bosses, get some loot, then leave. The group was around a portal.

I glance at the number.

Floor 56.

The floor should be stable with familiar monsters I can point out. Most of the monsters should be reptilian-based.In terms of minerals, a lot of mana crystals.

The raid group consists of four different times with seven members. The one who fetched me was deemed the main leader of the group for now. Most of the people were above level 50 with good gear. In terms of classes, they vary. One team was an all-female group. Another team consists of males. Another was mixed of demihumans while the last one was a bunch of Earthers.

"Alright," the armored leader exclaims, "Let's go!" Without any fuss, people start to move through the portal. I just let out a sigh.

"Here we go again..."